New Fruit Bars Left Out In Cold

The frozen fruit bar business, paced by Dole Foods, has been particularly active, one of the newer players being Ocean Spray Cranberries

In three years, fruit and juice bars have become a $250 million to $300 million annual business (which may be a conservative estimate), bringing on a bunch of me-tooers after Dole.

There is only so much space and a limit to new entries. Furthermore, grocers are reluctant to add a line unless it is backed by a strong promotional program.

``There`s going to be a big shakeout this year among the frozen fruit bars,`` noted an industry observer.

A buyer for a Chicago area supermarket chain said: ``We`re going to carry six or eight labels this summer, but a year from now I`m sure a few of them won`t be around.``

Marketers of these frozen novelties have pitched them for year-round consumption, but some grocers say they are pretty much a seasonal business, mostly in the summer.

A name synonymous with cranberry juice, Ocean Spray last year tested three flavors of fruit juice bars, to which it has added two new one. As might be expected, all have a ``Cran`` in them, including Cran-tastic, cranberry juice blended with apple, red and white grape and cherry juices.

Cran-tastic or fantastic, don`t look for these Ocean Spray novelties at Dominick`s. ``We just didn`t take them on,`` said a Dominick`s buyer. No room. Other firms with fruit and juice bars undoubtedly will face the same space problem in issue.

JWT TAPS CRONIN

In another management realignment, J. Walter Thompson Co. reformed its office of the chief executive and named John J. Cronin vice chairman and chief advertising officer, the latter a new post. Cronin, who now appears to be the No. 2 man, is one of the members of the office of chief executive. Others are Don Johnston, chairman-chief executive; Terence D. Martin, executive vice president and chief financial officer; and Stephen D. Salorio, executive VP and general counsel. Earlier this year, JWT set up the office of the chief executive, but the departure of several executives changed its make-up. Additionally, JWT formed a nine-member management committee charged with responsibility for the agency`s day-to-day operations. Johnston, Cronin, Martin and Salorio also are on this committee. Johnston also is chairman-CEO of the parent JWT Group. The changes may be intended in part to meet concerns among JWT clients, particularly Ford Motor Co., which was rumored late last week to be considering shifting some overseas business from JWT. Burger King, another JWT client, is expected to decide this week on its relationship with the agency.

-- Robert H. Roach, recently assistant executive director of the American Dental Association, was named marketing director, for the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, a new post. Roach`s responsibilities will include coordinating marketing efforts in attracting new businesses to Chicago and the six-county metropolitan area.

-- Former Leo Burnett Co. chief executive John J. Kinsella will be named president on Monday of the Chicago Central Area Committee, an organization committed to economic development of downtown Chicago. Kinsella will serve a one-year term. He retired from Burnett Jan. 1 after 27 years at the agency. Kinsella always has been active in civic affairs.

-- Anne Maddox, senior vice president of a 10-store Midwest region for Saks Fifth Avenue, also was given responsibility for the retailer`s Mid-Atlantic region. The latter unit consists of three stores in the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore area, but more are planned. Maddox will remain based in Chicago.

On the move: Steve Engle and Dick Prow were appointed group creative directors at Rhea & Kaiser Advertising, Oak Brook. . . . Tom Morrison was promoted to national sales manager at WFLD.

Though Ogilvy & Mather is an obvious contender (and a favorite) for the $140 million Nissan Motor Corp. ad account, sources in New York say that Jordan, Manning, Case, Taylor & McGrath there has a good shot at the business. This agency, which includes former Chicagoan and ex-J. Walter Thompson Co. executive Burt Manning as a principal, has been eyeing the auto account for some time. Jordan, Manning recently competed for Hyundai Motor America, an account won by Backer & Spielvogel.

Thomas J. Lipton Inc. is indeed the premier marketer of tea products, but its ``side dishes`` obviously are no sideline business. Since 1983, annual sales of its side-dish array of pasta-rice-sauce mix products have quadrupled to an estimated $100 million in 1986. Vying for an even bigger share of the $900 million side dish category, Lipton has moved two new items, ``Cool Side Salad`` and ``Potatoes and Sauce`` mixes, into national distribution with a blockbuster ad campaign. Lipton, based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., will spend $10 million in media advrtising alone this year to promote the new items through Bozell, Jacobs, Kenyon & Eckhardt/Chicago.